Freedom - It's Your Duty

July 04, 2013

Today, we're all celebrating our freedom and independence. I was just talking about freedom yesterday with 100 high school athletes, whose Coach invited me in to motivate the team. I was telling those young men, just because we live in the "land of the free" doesn't mean we are entitled. It means we have the freedom to pursue opportunity and the freedom to create as great a life as we possibly can for ourselves and our loved ones. It is up to us.
There are two kinds of people, the ones who are out there getting what they want, and then there's everybody else. Which one do you want to be?
I think you will agree we all want to be free. We all want to be getting what we want. So why is it that we don't? What causes us to give up on our goals and dreams?
There are 4 primary barriers to freedom that can be confronted and handled.
1. Not looking at your goals each day. Write down your goals every single morning. Think about where you are and where you want to be. That will motivate you to take the right amount of action.
2. Too much debt. Free yourself from getting caught up in a credit driven life. Credit card debt is like shackles on your wrists and ankles. There's nothing free about being a prisoner to debt.
3. Not making enough money. Set your mind right about earning money. More cash = more freedom! Money itself won't make you happy, but it will give you the ability to provide a better life for yourself and your loved ones.
4. Being unethical. Involvement in anything unethical enslaves you and destroys your hopes of freedom. Where you see you've fallen down, set things right.
Sit down with your family (including kids, no matter how young they are) and have honest discussions about goals and money. Work together to create your very own path to freedom. Remember, it's not a guarantee, it's your duty.
Happy 4th of July! Be great!